With several teams having arrived in Qatar, the final countdown for the Club World Cup begins
Reigning club champions from Asia, North America and Africa have touched down in Doha for the 2021 Club World Cup which is set to kickoff onThursday February 4.
Mexican side Tigres UANL, winners of the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League, arrived in Qatar on Saturday, while Asian Champions League FC Ulsan Hyundai and Egyptian giants Al Ahly landed the day before.
Adoring Egyptian fans greeted the Al Ahly SC team at the airport as the team arrived.
👀 @AlAhly's arrival in Qatar was… 🙌 #ClubWC pic.twitter.com/SkoK27L0UL
— The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (@Qatar2023en) January 30, 2021
But it wasn’t just the Al Ahly fans that showed their enthusiasm. Tigres UANL supporters also greeted the CONCACAF winners at Education City stadium, along with Mexico’s ambassador to Qatar, Graciela Goméz.
https://twitter.com/maurodoehner/status/1355464382017380352
Both Ulsan Hyundai FC and Al Ahly SC will enter the tournament at the second-round stage. Ulsan Hyundai FC will face CONCACAF Champions League winners Tigres UANL from Mexico on 4 February at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Al Ahly, meanwhile, will face Qatari champions Al Duhail SC at Education City Stadium on 4 February.
“The players are pleased to be back in Qatar for the FIFA Club World Cup and are looking forward to training ahead of our match against Tigres. We are excited to take part in this global event and test ourselves against some of the best sides in the world,” said Ulsan Hyundai FC head coach Hong Myung-bo.
“We are delighted to be in Qatar for this exciting tournament. There are many Al Ahly fans in Doha – and we are looking forward to having their support in our match against Al Duhail. This will be a great test for us as we aim to qualify for the semi-finals and a match against Bayern Munich, said Pitso Mosimane, the manager of Al Ahly SC.
Players and officials participating in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup will maintain a strict medical bubble system including regular COVID-19 testing, safe transportation methods, and regular disinfection of tournament venues, including training and media facilities.
The stadiums hosting the Club World Cup, Ahmed bin Ali and Education City, will be restricted to 30% capacity for spectators. Fans will also be required to present a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than 72 hours prior to the match or show evidence that they’re not required to take the test, such as proof of contracting the virus after October 1 2020 or proof of receiving two doses of the vaccine.
